Fort Myers house fire on Meadow Avenue determined to be accidental

A fire broke out Monday at a home on Meadow Avenue off Hanson Street in Fort Myers, where hoarding conditions created a dangerous situation for firefighters. “I look around the corner and there ain’t nothing but a huge glowing ball like the sun sitting on the ground,” said Kevin Culley, a neighbor who witnessed the fire. Fort Myers firefighters shared footage from inside the house, showing the extensive clutter they had to dig through to extinguish the flames. Amy Bollen, with South Trail Fire and Rescue, explained the risks posed by hoarding conditions. “All those contents can actually trap our firefighters on the inside,” Bollen said. “The more debris that can trap them in makes it where it is even hard for them to escape or our firefighters to save them.” She added, “One, it’s the homeowner’s safety, getting to them, finding them, that is all significantly slowed down due to the ability for firefighters to make entry.” The man living in the house said he was at work when the fire occurred and declined to comment further. His friend, Culley, expressed relief that no one was injured. “Very grateful, I mean it’s terrible damage, but at least people are alive,” Culley said. Fire crews arrived within three minutes of the call and successfully extinguished the fire without any injuries. Two cats were rescued from the home, and the fire was determined to have started accidentally. “Fighting a fire in Southwest Florida in the middle of summer is not an easy task overall,” Bollen said. “But fighting one that could be extra hot, that can have a lot more toxic smoke, can be very challenging.” DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.